


Birth and rise

by imnotanironwall



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Empire, Alternate Universe, Childhood Friends, F/M, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 08:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15287919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imnotanironwall/pseuds/imnotanironwall
Summary: After the fall of Altea, Allura wakes up to find herself in a ship away from her home. There, she meets with her savior and long-lost childhood friend: Lotor. Together, they decide to save the remaining Alteans and build a colony until they find a way to take back what they lost.





	Birth and rise

**Author's Note:**

> Commission for [Canis](https://twitter.com/QCanis). I hope you like it!

 “Father, we must form Voltron and fight before it's too late!” Princess Allura of Altea turned toward her father, dread in her voice. They had to hurry. They had to stop Zarkon, now!

“It's already too late. We must send the lions away. We can't risk them falling into Zarkon's hands.”

She couldn’t believe him. _He_ was the one who taught her to never give up, to always fight for what they loved. Their planet, their people, they couldn’t let them die without even trying. They had to protect them! “We can't give up hope!”

“I'm sorry, daughter. If all goes well, I will see you again soon. For now, you must leave.” Her father touched her face gently, looked at her with all the care and love a father could have for his daughter. And then a bright light flashed from his fingers. Allura lost her footing and her vision became blurry, her world quickly falling into unconsciousness...

“Father!” She screamed, hopeless. She didn't want to leave him. They had to fight _together_ . They had to _protect_ Altea. He couldn’t leave her as well, she needed him.

“I love you” and her vision faded...

 

* * *

 

 

The darkness was the first thing she noticed. Then, it was the silence. There was no laughter, no footsteps, no birds chirping. Only a low humming of an engine in the background. Everything around her was cold, she felt empty. Where was she? What was happening?

Finally, the memories flooded back. A succession of bright colors and screams. People shouting names, their loved ones lost and dead. The blood. The terror in her people’s eyes. The words of King Alfor before she fell asleep.

She jumped awake. “Father!” But the Castle of Lions was gone. He was gone. And through a window, she was met with the endlessness of space. _She_ was gone.

“Princess, you're finally awake.” A familiar voice reached her ear and she only now noticed she wasn’t alone. She turned toward it and was met with Coran, her father’s advisor and friend. But instead of his usual cheerful smile, he was wearing an entirely new expression. One of despair.

“C-Coran, what happened? Where are we? Where is Father?” She stumbled with her words, panic rising in her voice. She was desperate.

Her fellow Altean took her hand in his and sighed, a deep long exhale. His thumb stroke her soft skin, delicate and young, and finally looked up at her. “Princess… As my last duty, your Father, King Alfor, ordered me to take you to safety and make sure you were alright. And this is what I did.” The corner of his eyes glittered in the low purplish light of the spaceship they were in. The words were hard. “As for your Father… He stayed back on the planet to fight Zarkon as he sent the Castle of Lions away and who knows where. However, we- we just received a message and,” He took a deep breath, tears were threatening to fall at any moment now. “Altea is no more. The paladins of Voltron are gone.”

It took her the better half of a minute to comprehend the news that were given to her. And then, she started choking.

Fat tears poured down her face in a second, gasping for air as she could not breathe anymore. She had completely lost the control of her body. They were gone, they were _all_ gone. Her _people_ . Her _planet_ . Her _family_ . And she was alone once more, against a rising Empire who destroyed an entire civilization with a flick. _Alone_.

She felt arms around her and the familiar voice of Coran near her ear. “I know, Princess, I know.” His voice was low and trembling, he was definitely trying to stay strong for her. But the shake of his embrace couldn’t fool her, he was devastated as well.

 

After what seemed hours in cold silence irregularly broken by painful sobs, the rumble of the engines became louder and louder until it completely stopped. The ship shook a few seconds before it stopped as well and everything became still. Allura did not dare to move. Her heart was aching, her body felt hurt. Reality was painful.

 

Then she heard footsteps coming towards her. However, Coran was still holding her hand, was still sitting right next to her. And for the first time since she woke up, she considered the ship they were in. Purple, cold and… familiar. She had been in one of those before, not so long ago if she remembered. It was an exact replica of a galra ship. It _was_ a galra ship.

She jumped to her feet, terrified. Had they been captured? Were they taken to Zarkon to be executed? Had her Father fought for _nothing_?

“You have no need to worry, Princess. There are no threats here.” A voice spoke up, familiar but yet so far away. And as she looked up from her defensive stance - _when had she positioned herself like this?_ -, her breath was taken away again.

At first glance, she was ready to throw a kick to the individual. Tall, broad shoulders, purple skin and dark armor. A typical Galra. However, the long white hair stopped her. And then she took the face into consideration, it was disturbingly familiar. It was _not_ someone she had ever dreamt of seeing again.

“Lo-... Lotor? Is that you?”

“Princess,” he bows, “I would have preferred to see you again under more pleasant circumstances.”

“Lotor… I thought I would never see you again. Where were you? What happened to you?” She rose from her seated position and walked towards Lotor. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Her dear childhood friend was in front of her right at this moment, after disappearing without notice years ago.

She held his face tenderly between her hands, touching every patch of skin as if she had doubts about his presence. He had been one of the numerous victims of Zarkon, especially as his _son_. She couldn’t believe he was here with her.

“I'd rather we talk about that later. We have more urgent matters on our hands.” He took her hands in his and sighed deeply. “Princess, I know this may be hard for you but we need to take action quickly. The Galra Empire will not stop after the fall of Altea. It will expand further and hurt more innocents in its wake. I need to stop it. And I need your help.”

Allura took a deep breath, processing the information thrown at her once more. “Lotor, I-" She took a step back, her hands falling to her side. “I can't- My, my people, my family… Everyone was killed before my eyes. It's too much.” She looked around her, the deep purple light of the ship was making her sick. “I don't know where we are. I don't know what I have to do. I don't know what I _want_ to do, yet.”

“Princess.” Coran stood and put his hand, warm and comforting, between her shoulder blades. “It may be best to take a few days of rest. I, as your advisor, think it would be the best idea. You will think about what you want or need to do later. Let me accompany you to your new quarters, I’ll explain everything on the way.”

Allura looked at Coran, then at Lotor, and sighed. “You're right, yes. We will discuss later, Lotor. You have so much to tell me.”

 

* * *

 

 

Allura was in her room, as per usual for the last few quintants she has been on the planet she had yet to call home. It had taken a few days for her to properly mourn Altea and she really thought she would never recover from her loss, even now it was still hard to be useful and operational. But Lotor gave her a new hope, a new purpose.

Alteans weren’t all dead. Many of them weren’t on the planet when it happened. Some were away on business trips or vacations. And they were now in hiding, trying to survive as best as they could thank to their abilities. Lotor wanted to find them. He wanted to preserve their culture, _his_ culture.

As far as Allura knew, Lotor’s intentions were altruistic and benevolent. He wanted to protect them from the rising Empire. Allura had decided to help him.

However, that day, Lotor came to find her in her room.

“Princess,” he bowed slightly, even if she told him not to. “I- Ah, I am sorry if I bother you, but I came to ask for advice concerning the Colony.”

Allura stood up and closed the book she had been reading up until now. “Of course, Lotor. I’d be delighted to help you. Do you want me to call Coran? He might be a better advisor than I am, especially in my current state.”

Lotor took a few steps forward until he was close enough to Allura. He took her hands in his, something he had taken the habit of doing, and squeezed them gently. “Allura, you are the only one I completely trust. And I am positive you are the only one that can help me with my project. Please, take a seat and listen to me.”

Allura nodded, touched by the words of her dear friend. She sat on her bed and looked up at Lotor. “I am listening.”

“Wonderful.” He cleared his throat. “As we already discussed, the Galra Empire needs to be stopped before it takes over the universe. It needs to be stopped before they find the Lions of Voltron. And I may have found a way to fight the Empire, something they would not suspect we had access to: Quintessence!” He sat next to Allura and sighed, his enthusiasm replaced by worry. “However, we both know how dangerous it can be. It is why we need to do some research on quintessence before. But not the same way my mother did! We need to find another source, a less dangerous one. And it is why I need your advice.”

Allura slowly squeezed Lotor’s hand. She didn't like seeing him so unsure of himself. “Please continue.”

“Well,” he quickly averted her gaze, looking at their joined hands. “I may have found a reachable source. But it would mean more casualties amongst our people.” He took a deep breath and locked his gaze with Allura’s. “Life, itself, is full of quintessence. _Alteans_ have quintessence in them. But it would mean that more Alteans would perish until the Empire is no longer. And I do not want to sacrifice them for research purpose.”

It was Allura’s turn to look down, Lotor’s stare too intense to bear. “I-" She shook her head. No, she would never let her people die. They had seen enough, they deserved to live peacefully, have a safe life now.

If only the Galra had never been there. If only they never listened to Zarkon. If only they stopped tracking them down. They would be able to rebuild their nation, to rebuild their cities and life.

 _Oh_.

“I have an idea.”

Lotor hummed next to her, encouraging her to speak.

“What if... “ She stood and turned toward Lotor. “What if we could use the Galra to collect quintessence?” She joined her hands before her chest and started walking around the room. “What if we used your ship and sent a distress signal to the nearest Galra ship on guard duty? We could abduct them when they leave their usual patrol path. Because they would think one of theirs has been attacked or had problems, and they would never suspect their own kind would betray them!” Allura turned toward Lotor again, her eyes shining as she explained her plan. “Lotor, we could use their own soldiers to destroy the Galra Empire! They would never suspect a thing!”

Lotor got up and walked to Allura. He brushed her hair out of her face, a small smile on his face. “Oh, Princess, I would have never thought of a better plan.”

 

* * *

 

 

The room was basking in a faint neon-blue light, devoid of sounds or movements. The Colony had been asleep for a few hours now, only the eventual teenagers disturbing the peaceful and quiet streets on their way home. Everything was going well for the Alteans, but Allura couldn’t find the strength to sleep.

If she closed her eyes, she was sure she would see those same images again and again, those nightmares that had haunted her for the past few years, still there a decade after the fall of her beloved planet.

And today had been a particularly tough day for her.

Coran was aging. And Allura knew he wouldn’t stay long enough to see the fall of the Galra Empire if they didn't do something about it soon. So they flew to the Castle of Lions they had recently discovered and kept hidden on a faraway planet. There, she said her goodbye to her trusted and dear advisor and friend, and they pushed Coran into an early sleep.

He had been against it. Like he had been against a lot of Allura’s decisions. Ambushing the Galras, searching the Lions, making an Alliance with the Blade of Marmora - Galras rebelling against the Empire -, using the Galras for quintessence and, finally, using the quintessence on herself and Lotor, to make themselves more powerful. It also stopped her body from growing old.

Coran had refused to use the quintessence for himself, he said he cherished is life too much. And so, the only option left was to put him into sleep for who knows how long. When he turned down the offer, Allura had to… force his hands.

She hadn’t shed a single tear. She had stayed strong in front of her crew, in front of her people. She was their hope, their leader, she couldn’t show her weaknesses.

Now, in the quiet of her room, and despite the warmth of her bed, she felt immensely alone. Still, she wasn’t crying. _Couldn’t_. It had been her decision, she knew it was for the best. But her heart bled.

 

Eventually, the calm was interrupted by a faint knock on her door. After her brief approval, the door slid open.

“I apologize if I am bothering you, Princess. I wanted to make sure you were okay and asleep after such a tiresome day,” Lotor explained as he stepped into the room. The door slid shut with a soft _thud_ behind him.

Allura put her feet on the cold ground, a shiver running down her spine, and got up. “And as you can see I am awake.” Her voice was still, professional, not leaking any of her inner turmoil.

Lotor walked to her. “Allura…” He stopped before her, a good centimeters taller, and took her hands in his. “You know you can talk to me. You don't have to stay so guarded.”

She shook her head. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“If it's about-"

“It isn't about Coran!” She interrupted, her voice almost a shout. After a pause, she sighed, her head low. “Not entirely at least.”

She freed her hands from Lotor’s grasp and walked away from him. She took a few steps onto the hard floor, barefoot, to the window. She looked outside, her eyes falling on the several cozy homes they made for her people. They knew peace now, but for how long?

A sigh escaped her again. “Maybe Coran was right. Maybe I am losing sight of who am I. I am starting to doubt my own decisions. We may have indeed gone too far. We stole lives, we possibly destroyed families. Hatred blinded me and I acted on an impulse, I shouldn't have sacrifice lives for my own desires, even if they were our enemies.”

Her eyes filled with wet and salty tears, threatening to fall at any moment now. Without Coran, how would she know if anything she does was wrong? And how could she trust herself again?

A hand brushed her hair out of her face. “Allura.” She raised her head to look at Lotor, now standing beside her. “Everything you did was justified. Everything you did was for your people, to get them back to a safe place where they wouldn’t have to hide. _We_ did all those things to preserve their culture, _our_ culture.”

He wiped her tears with his thumb, his hand lingering against her face. It was rough and calloused, years of training and working to be the perfect Heir to the Galra Empire engraved in his palms. And yet, there was a softness, a gentleness in his gesture. Something she had never paid attention to before. And when she leaned into it, she felt strangely at home.

“Allura,” he resumed. “You may have done things a princess would never have done. But it doesn't mean you strayed from your duty as a leader. Perhaps, “princess" isn't the title you should bore. And if you would accept it, I would gladly offer you a new one,” He took her hands in his, once again, and fell to his knees. He looked up at her and kissed her hands, “My Empress".

 

* * *

 

 

The time had come for the Colony to know, to celebrate. After deca-phoebs, decades, centuries even, there was finally some results. They knew how to take care of the Galra Empire - which had expanded far and beyond during these time.

The first spark of hope came when they had discovered the Castle of Lions in their early days. They had the Black Lion with them but had no way to find the remaining four. However, as their researches with quintessence moved forward, they learned to catch a signal. Faint, but they knew what to look for.

They were not the only one looking for them, as it became obvious when Sendak discovered the Red Lion. But Allura knew. She knew she needed to open herself to the Castle of Lions, to reach deep down into her ancestors’ legacy to find that connection to _magic_. And when she found it, the Castle revealed its secrets: small dots across the universe, emitting a familiar signal.

Unlike Sendak, however, they couldn’t take their time to fetch them one by one. They couldn’t. Only the new Paladins of Voltron could possibly activate the Lions. And it would be too dangerous to risk anything before having the proper candidates in their hands, especially with two Lions in the proximity of the Galras.

Yet, when they thought they could never find the proper candidates, something happened. In a faraway galaxy, something, _someone_ , activated the Black Lion. And for 3 quintants, it roars in pain, sharing the suffering of its paladin. Until it became quiet again, like he knew its paladin would make it and come to find it eventually.

It was their clue, their hint, to the location of the paladins. And it was just a matter of time, maybe a few phoebs, until they find their way to the Castle of Lions.

 

The parade had been organized throughout the Colony to their palace - suitable enough to hold a celebration with the entire population. Allura walked behind the dancers and the few guards they had - mostly for appearance as they needn’t be protected, Allura was strong enough to protect her people by herself now -, followed closely by Lotor who always walked a foot behind her. She waved her hands to the inhabitants of the Colony who then rushed toward the palace after her.

Once everyone was gathered in the ballroom, Allura stepped onto a platform. She was wearing her armor above fine dark and gold fabrics, as well as a cloak in the same tone on her shoulders, but the inner fabric was blue, that same blue she wore as a princess - a memory of who she was and what she achieved. Her shoulders were covered with gold and blue epaulets, two lion’s heads: to honor her father and now the symbol of the rising Altean Empire. Her old gold circlet was resting on her forehead, the only piece of jewelry she wore and treasured.

When she raised her hand, silence fell on the room. She cleared her throat and began her speech.

“People of our fallen Altea.” Her voice was steady, loud. She radiated confidence with a single glance. “ _Today_ marks the day we rise against our oppressor and take back what was stolen from our hands. _Today_ marks the day we honor the sacrifices of our ancestors who battled to protect our legacy.”

The crowd clapped and cheered. Children ran to the stage and looked up in admiration toward their Empress.

“Soon, the Paladins of Voltron will join us to fight the Galra Empire. And none of you will ever fear an attack. We will win the war and I will bring you peace.

Today, we celebrate _hope_ . Today, we celebrate our upcoming _victory_. And I, Empress Allura, rightful heir to the throne of Altea, I assure that you and your children, and for generations, none will ever know fear and loss. It is time we rise again!”

The crowd erupted in a newfound energy, cheers, shouts, whistles. All rejoicing and laughing, happiness and faith filling the atmosphere. It was time for festivities.

Allura joined her people for a few talks, drinks and handshakes. Then, she left the ballroom, early celebration not so much of her cup-of-tea. The last days had been tiring for her, as she didn’t have an advisor to take care of some commodities or even help her hold the burden of a nation. She left for her own room.

 

As soon as she stepped inside, she embraced the quietness and the comfort she had effectively built in her personal space. She sighed, her mask falling behind closed doors. She had changed over the past centuries; not so much physically thanks to the quintessence filling her body, but she had learned to be a leader, to be the one everyone looked up to.

She couldn’t hold back a sigh when she heard a knock on her door. However, only Lotor entered after a few words from her.

“Oh, I thought I hadn’t managed to escape the party.” She put a hand to her chest in relief. “Thank the Gods, it is you.”

Lotor smiled at her. “I thought you might want some help getting out of those garments. If you may,” Allura turned her back to Lotor and with a nod, he started undoing her cloak and armor. She was soon left in her black bodysuit she always wore under her official clothes.

“Thank you dear, I appreciate the help.” She let herself fall on her bed, the silky sheets a wonder against her tired body and she couldn’t help but moan at how soft it felt against her face. She heard a small laugh from her partner, probably amused towards her attitude. She sat, her hand opened and up for Lotor to take. “Come.” He complied with a smile.

Her head fell on his shoulder the moment he sat and she nuzzled his chin. “Oh Lotor, I can not wait until it is over. I hope things will be easier after the Kral Zera.”

He stroked her cheekbone with his thumb, a gentle gaze following her every movement. “Of course. We will reign together. Who would even think to separate the Empress and the Emperor? Finally, they will all know how much I adore you, Allura.”

She hummed, her eyes becoming heavy. “You are so sweet.” She stood up suddenly and faced Lotor. “Right. Let me rest for awhile and we will join the celebration again.” She raised her hand to the zipper on the front of her suit. “Get out of those layers of yours and lay down with me. I need to feel you close.”

Another laugh left Lotor’s lips. “Oh so demanding.” He put his hands on her waist and kissed her now naked torso. “You were wonderful out there. You never stop to amaze me, Allura.” She bent down to meet his lips halfway and kissed his tender smile, tugging on the blue and black armor he was wearing.

“You helped me see what I was capable of. I will never thank you enough for that.” She buried her hands in his long white hair, her forehead pressed against his. “I love you, Lotor.”

He kissed a scar under her chin, grazed her jaw with his lips. She shivered under his little touches. “And I love you as well, my Empress.”

 

* * *

 

The blue light of the observation deck flickered faintly, a single signal quickly approaching. Allura sighed, her hands against her chest. Whom she had waited for all those centuries, millenniums even, finally _they_ were on their way: The Paladins of Voltron.

Just a tick and they would be there, in front of her, ready to help her and save the world. She who had seen her world collapse. She who had rebuilt her nation. She who was ready to sacrifice everything she had for her people to be free again. Previously known as Princess Allura of Altea, she now stood as the Empress Allura. She took a deep breath as the door slid open.

Hopefully, the rest would go down in history.

**Author's Note:**

> Before posting this, I was looking at fanarts of Empress Allura and thought this art of [Acedia](http://iacediai.tumblr.com/post/165370730118/reference-for-theluckyjinx2170-cause-this-brave) on tumblr was really similar to how I imagined Allura. So I (heavily) used their design for her outfit. Check out their art, it's amazing! 
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/imnotanironwall) / [tumblr](http://badgunter.tumblr.com/)


End file.
